Bone marrow biopsy is a common minor surgical procedure that is an important diagnostic test in evaluating patients with primary hematological disorders and diseases that involve the bone and bone marrow. The procedure is a simple, brief and well tolerated operation, associated with extremely low morbidity and mortality. However, under certain circumstances a biopsy specimen may be difficult to obtain and may necessitate repeated attempts at biopsy in an effort to get adequate material for the study, thus lengthening the duration of the procedure and causing additional pain, discomfort and anxiety on the part of the patient.
In the past, the biopsy procedure has been carried out using a hollow needle of varying internal diameter with a tapered distal end and diagonal cutting edge. A rod-like stylus is inserted within the hollow needle and the assembly is then inserted into the patient's body until the tissue to be removed is engaged. When the distal end of the needle has reached the tissue from which the specimen is to be removed, the stylus is removed from the needle and the needle is rotated and urged forwardly. This movement produces a cutting action of the tissue and allows the specimen to be collected interiorly of the needle.
Although biopsy needles of this construction have met with success, failure to obtain an adequate core biopsy specimen frequently occurs. Not infrequently, the biopsy specimen will be left behind, either in the bone itself, or in the soft tissue outside the bone when the needle is withdrawn from the biopsy site, thus necessitating the need for another attempt or pass at obtaining a core biopsy.